BA (Hons) Business & Management (Finance) (with Foundation Year option)

Core Units:

• Fundamentals of Business & Management: This unit aims to develop your understanding of the business context across industry and sectors globally. You will cover the key issues and challenges facing businesses going forward and the essential role of people in dynamic, resilient and complex organisations. You will explore key functional business areas including marketing, finance, accounting, economics, people management, and organisational behaviour.  
• Academic & Professional Practice: You will build your confidence in both academic and professional skills. This unit will cover the academic skills which will be required at degree level study and you’ll practice them throughout the unit with support from key university services including the library and study skills team. There will also be opportunity for you to reflect on and develop your own professional skills through interactions with employers, careers services and online resources. 
• Fusion Business Project: You will undertake a business project based on a real issue or problem. The Fundamentals of Business & Management unit will support you in understanding key issues and challenges which could form the basis for your project.  Projects will be undertaken in workplaces, community settings or part of research processes related to your chosen field of study. You will be allocated an academic mentor who will support you in developing and undertaking the project.  

With specialist units tailored to finance, the first year of this course will begin to develop a sound understanding of business and management, covering the foundations of the subject.

Core units:

• Developing Management Competencies: You'll be exposed to real-life business and management challenges, enabling you to develop interpersonal, organisational, transferable, creative and reflective learning skills, as well as a learning culture founded on mutual support, empathy and respect.
• Introduction to Accounting: Expand your knowledge and skills needed to progress to further study of financial reporting and/or financial analysis by studying the fundamentals of accounting.
• Organisational Behaviour & Responsible Management: This unit covers the individual, psychological and social aspects relating to people in organisations and the systems that govern them.
• Introduction to Financial Markets: This unit will provide a level of conceptual understanding that will allow you to critically evaluate the fundamentals of finance and its implications in the current scenario.

Option units (choose two):

• Global Business Environment: An introduction to the fundamentals of the external global business context, enabling you to understand business-related political, economic, social and technological news stories and developments.
• Principles of Microeconomics: The unit provides students with a broad grounding of the topic and an understanding of the behaviour of individual agents (individuals, firms, government) and the ways in which they interact in a market economy.  
• Principles of Macroeconomics: Macroeconomic theory will be explored in this unit, enabling you to apply macroeconomic principles in the analysis of contemporary issues and problems. 
• Business Simulation: Through simulation, you will gain invaluable hands-on experience by analysing data and collaborating with your peers to resolve dilemmas, making managerial decisions.
• Fundamentals of Marketing: By identifying interesting marketing problems, you'll understand the range of marketing solutions available, and learn how to develop appropriate marketing strategies by focusing on a real-life case studies. 

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

Looking into theory and practice, year two will cover key topics and issues within the industry with the opportunity to tailor your studies by choosing from a range of optional units.

Core units:

• Recruiting, Selecting & Retaining Talent: You will be encouraged to develop an understanding of the recruitment and selection process, and contemporary recruitment and selection techniques, whilst developing an understanding of their position in relation to the wider talent pool. 
• Strategic Management: You'll develop the ability to apply appropriate tools and techniques to critically analyse the organisation and its environment, learning about the development of competitive marketing strategy and operations
• Management Accounting: You will develop an understanding of basic management account concepts, techniques and practices and the quantitative skills to apply them in an organisational context.
• Corporate Financial Management: This unit presents and discusses the importance of financial management to a corporate entity based on the relevant theories.
• Financial Reporting: You will evaluate and apply the regulatory framework of accounting, prepare basic consolidated accounts in accordance with IFRS, for a simple group and analyse and appraise company performance.

Option units (choose one):

• Consumer Behaviour & Contemporary Issues: This unit aims to extend your understanding of marketing, providing a critical understanding of the role and application of consumer behaviour within marketing and the wider organisation.
• Global Operations Management: This unit will cover the impact global operations management has on the business as a whole and the close relationship of operations management with other business function.
• Digital Marketing Fundamentals: This unit provides a practical communication focused perspective of the rapidly evolving digital world, offering practical assistance in shaping professional digital identity and footprint.
• Globally Responsible Business Practice: Gain the ability to critically evaluate the complex role of business practice in global systems and their understanding of management processes.

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

The course includes an optional 30-week (minimum) placement between your second and final year, providing a valuable opportunity to develop your vocational skills and understanding of the workplace.

We are proud that our students have played their part in the success of top firms including Microsoft, JP Morgan, IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Motorola.

Within your final year of study, you will undertake significant pieces of academic work, demonstrating the critical, analytical and research skills developed during your course

Core units:

• Research in Business & Management: The unit provides an overview of research methods available covering both qualitative and quantitative approaches, with a particular emphasis on the development and delivery of ethical and sustainable research.
• Organisational Leadership: The aim of this unit is to critically explore leadership styles, theories and followership concepts in a range of organisational contexts.
• Advanced Accounting Theory & Practice: You will develop an understanding of the theoretical aspects of financial reporting and apply this to technical issues.

Core units (choose one):

• Research Project: In this unit, you will put into practice a range of research methods, tools and techniques, to investigate and report on a finance-related business problem or opportunity of your choice. 
• Reflective Practitioner Project: This unit aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of workplace and career-related challenges, as well as your critical thinking and writing skills, through a reflective project focusing on your placement year.
• Hacking for Sustainability Project: This is a team-based consultancy-style project, which gives you the opportunity to work on challenging sustainability problems being faced by large organisations, such as the MoD. This Project involves working in a team, as well as with stakeholders and a client, and includes a mix of 'real-life' individual and group deliverables.

Option units (choose one):

• Advanced Management Accounting: This unit will cover the role of management accounting in all aspects of management control systems, particularly in the development and use of performance management systems and the strategic control of organisations.
• Investment Management: This unit will address the theoretical principles and quantitative methodologies which underpin the pricing and valuation of the primary investable asset classes (equities, bonds and property) and their application in practice. It also introduces and differentiates between personal wealth management and institutional fund management.
• Public Finance & Policy: As Nation-States begin to raise taxes to address unprecedented levels of public debt, we will consider their decisions, targets, and taboos. We will debate the underlying principles and theories on which our tax policies have evolved. This unit aims to provide a technically and academically challenging examination of public finance, in theory and in practice. 

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements.

Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry.

If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

We select candidates for this course by looking at your application; there are usually no interviews or selection activities needed. For that reason, make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU. You can find some handy hints about filling in your UCAS form on our how to apply web pages.

We look at individual applications and make a tailored offer based on your potential to succeed on the course considering a range of factors, including your academic achievements, work and other experience, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview or a portfolio review. Typically, we make an offer at the bottom of the tariff range.

AccessBU gives you the chance to tell us more about you and your life experiences if you haven’t had the same educational opportunities as other applicants. If you are eligible for AccessBU, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS Tariff Points below the published tariff.

Our offer-making will typically be based on your most recent qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications when assessing your application, although these may not be part of our offer.

If you do not meet the criteria of your original offer, we may still offer you a place. We will review your whole application and consider all academic qualifications (including those not in the offer) to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will confirm your place.

​AccessBU: AccessBU provides you with the opportunity to tell us about your circumstances that are not always evident in your UCAS application. This widening access initiative also considers relevant criteria such as being in care or if you live in an area with a low participation rate in Higher Education - if you are eligible, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS tariff points below the published tariff.

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider eligible applicants for deferred entry. If you have already submitted your application, please submit your deferral request through our website. 

Direct entry: We welcome applications from students who have previously studied at degree level at other institutions and wish to transfer onto a BU course. Our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) procedure enables credit awarded from one institution to contribute to a BU award, subject to an application process. Please visit our RPL webpage for more information.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

A placement should be a highly rewarding experience for you and the employing company and we do our best to ensure that everyone involved feels that they have got the most that they can from the experience.

Placements provide a great opportunity to make your first career steps and enhance your employability while you’re completing your studies. You’ll get the opportunity to:

• Put the theory learnt throughout the course into professional practice
• Enhance your study and help you decide on subject options (where appropriate)
• Learn a wide range of skills such as time management, problem solving and team work (all of these are important to succeed in any career)
• Make contacts, as it is not uncommon for our students to be offered permanent positions to return to after graduating
• Gain a real insight into how the industry operates in roles that would be almost impossible to achieve for an outsider.

Many of our students, during their placement, are given responsibilities normally associated with graduate trainees.

Although it is ultimately your responsibility to find a placement, we give you all the support you could need.

Our dedicated Placement Officers circulate job opportunities and offer CV, covering letter and interview coaching to ensure you have the best chance to compete for some of the top placement positions in industry.

• BMW
• Babcock
• Boots
• IBM
• Intel
• JP Morgan
• Walt Disney
• L'Oreal
• Xerox
• Microsoft.

Having a good understanding of business management as well as financial knowledge is a significant advantage when you come to enter the workplace. Business managers who are able to understand financial statements, planning and accounting are incredibly useful, as are financial professionals who have a good grip of business management principles.

This makes our graduates very employable, going on to start their careers in roles such as:

• Account Executive
• Account Manager
• Business Analyst
• Business Development Assistant
• Financial Analyst
• Marketing & Operations Manager
• Operations Analyst. 

The skills you learn on the course should stand you in good stead for your continuing professional development too – giving you more control over your career direction.

A degree in Business will give you various career options once you graduate. Our alumni will typically work in corporate or business environments in sectors such as finance, banking or retail, but your varied skillset and knowledge could see you pursuing a career in a broad range of settings.

And as there’s so much choice over the pathway you choose to follow, you can align your studies to your career ambitions.

Once you have completed an undergraduate Honours degree, you can further develop your education by studying for a postgraduate degree. Please visit our postgraduate section for further details about our range of Master’s degrees.

Research degrees 

If you are a BU graduate you are eligible for a 20% ‘loyalty’ discount on the published fees for further programmes with us!  

Depending on your qualifications and experiences, you can choose to undertake a MRes or PhD level research degree. Bournemouth University has a strong business research foundation within our Department of People & Organisations through a number of research centres, which explores theory, education and professional practice. 

Visit our postgraduate research courses for further details about research degree options with the Bournemouth University Business School and the funding options available. 

​Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Materials for laboratory and mandatory field-based teaching activity.
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Free software download to your personal device of Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus while you are studying, as well as access to applications provided on AppsAnywhere, subject to licensing and compatibility restrictions
• Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances.
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

While all aspects of the programme, including required field trips, are included in the fee, additional, optional or extra curricula activities may be available for which a student contribution is required.

​Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

For September 2023 entry:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shop stocks a wide range of stationery supplies.
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas). Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.
• Travel costs, outdoor wear and footwear for optional field trips.
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement.
• SportBU membership.

For September 2024 entry:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shop stocks a wide range of stationery supplies.
• Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website. 
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass is included in your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately.
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas). Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.
• You will need to meet the cost of any Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if required by your placement setting, including any Post Office verification changes. 
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study.
• SportBU membership.

If you need to repeat one or more units during your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full-time fee.

Mark Ridolfo is a Principal Academic in Human Resources & Organisational Behaviour, within the Bournemouth University Business School. A passionate, student-oriented innovator, Mark has been lecturing at Bournemouth University since 1992.

Living and working in France, Germany, Italy, and China has helped inform Mark’s main interests of cross-cultural communication and management.

He also delivers courses in professional effectiveness – specialising in presentations, report writing, online communication, and negotiation.

Frazer is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Accounting, Finance & Economics, within the Bournemouth University Business School. Having graduated from BU with a BA (Hons) in Accounting, Frazer specialised in IT before becoming an academic member of staff. Having gained an MSc. in Finance & Risk Management, Frazer now specialises in Risk Management/Disaster Planning and is a Technical Specialist member of the Institute of Risk Management. Frazer is currently undertaking a PhD in Finance, focusing on Portfolio Management, with a special focus on Bloodstock.

Frazer's main research interests lie in the multi-disciplinary aspects of large scale renewable energy projects and has a number of co-created publications in this area.

Dr Spencer Barnett graduated from Bournemouth University in 2003 with a first class honours degree in Accounting & Finance and have subsequently qualified as a chartered accountant.

Prior to starting at BU in 2000, he was an equity analyst and arbitrageur at a major European investment bank.

His research interests lie within the field of equity arbitrage, particularly surrounding mergers and acquisitions.

Roger is a Chartered Management Accountant and was elected a Fellow of the institute in 1993.

Beginning his career in Management Accounting, Roger “cut his teeth” in the Midlands heavy engineering industry gaining down to earth costing experience before moving to work as a Corporate Analyst in the City of London.

As a Corporate Analyst with the British American Tobacco Group he was involved in appraising new business developments within the UK. This was at an interesting time when borrowing rates were high and Discounted Cash Flow was a comparatively new technique.

Roger subsequently worked in the oil business ( Gulf Oil ) as a Financial Analyst, where he gained managerial experience in addition to project management and on site audits

In more recent years Roger pursued his career in Financial Services. This began with a position with Crown Life of Canada as Management Accountant and ended with American Life where he was Financial Controller of a company with £1bn of premium income.

Suranjita joined Bournemouth University in September 2011. She is a Senior Lecturer in the area of Accounting and Finance and has 12 years of university teaching experience at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level. As an experienced academic she is passionate about using new technology and inventive teaching techniques like Panopto, Padlet, podcasts and use of innovative assessments to emphasise conceptual understanding of the subject matter. 

She has extensive experience in curriculum planning with proficiency in programme development of a specialist undergraduate and a specialist integrated master’s degree in accounting and finance. Suranjita has been a programme director in varied academic roles including academic liaison tutor with FE colleges, programme leader of a specialist finance and accounting programmes. Her ongoing research interest is in corporate governance, corporate finance and Tax. 

Tuan has joined Bournemouth University in September 2017 as a Lecturer in Accounting and Finance. Prior that he had held a position as a part-time lecturer at the University of Exeter on various Accounting and Finance modules. He also had worked as a CFA exams tutor for a MSc programme on Financial Analysis and Fund Management.

Tuan has obtanied his PhD in Accounting at University of Exeter since 2017. He has also passed all the CFA exams (from level 1 to level 3) and shortly, he will be qualified as CFA Chartered Holder.